Shield and feed control for mining machine of the screw auger type



Oct.22, 1957 R. A. PARSONS SHIELD AND 2,810,566 FEED CONTROL FOR MINING MACHINE OF THE SCREW AUGER TYPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1956 A QQNQ b a his Attorney.

Oct. 22, 1957 R. A. PARSONS 2,310,566

SHIELD AND FEED CONTROL FOR MINING MACHINE OF THE SCREW AUGER TYPE Filed Jan. 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r tll 'llll lllun:

tlll lllllll his Attorney.

United States Patent SHIELD AND FEED CONTROL FOR MINING MA- CHINE OF THE SCREW AUGER TYPE Roy A. Parsons, Wilcoe, W. Va., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application January 26, 1956, Serial No. 561,524

7 Claims. (Cl. 262-26) This invention relates to a shield and feed control for screw auger mining machines.

An object of the invention is to provide a shield which protects the screw of such a machine against receiving more loose material than it can handle, for example when strata movement occurs.

A further object is to provide a shield which serves also as a feed control to admit loose material to the screw at a rate the latter can handle.

A further object is to provide an anger shield which is normally stationary to furnish a gallery for the revolving screw, but optionally can rotate with the screw to allow controlled removal of material that otherwise would foul the screw.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view with parts cut away showing an anger equipped with a shield in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view with parts cut away showing the shield detached from the auger;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the shield taken from the right as viewed in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an otherwise conventional auger screw modified to accommodate my shield;

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of an otherwise conventional auger digging tool modified to accommodate my shield, being taken from the left as viewed in Figure 6; and

Figurev 6 is 'a fragmentary side elevational view of the digging tool thus modified.

Figure 1 shows a conventional auger A of a mining machine which is drilling in a coal seam C. The auger includes the usual rotatable screw 10 and digging tool 12 mounted on the end of the screw shaft. In accordance with my invention, the auger carries a shield which includes a hollow metal cylinder 1 whose wall contains a plurality of regularly spaced openings 2. The cylinder rotatably and slidably receives the screw 10, and the openings 2 control feeding of loose material to the screw. A drive element 3 of a jaw clutch is fixed to the rear face of the digging tool 12 (Figures 5 and 6). The shield includes a driven element 4 of this clutch fixed to the forward end of the cylinder coaxially thereof on a spider 4a which leaves the end of the cylinder largely open (Figure 3). The exterior of the cylinder 1 carries a helical rib 5. A collar 7 is fixed to the screw 10 adjacent its forward end and is adapted to abut the rearward end of the clutch element 4. The collar 7 and clutch element 3 are spaced longitudinally sufliciently to allow the auger and shield to have limited relative longitudinal movement for engaging or disengaging the clutch elements 3 and 4.

In operation, the clutch elements 3 and 4 normally are disengaged and the collar 7 on the screw 10 abuts the 2,810,566 Patented Oct. 22, 1957 ICE clutch element 4. Consequently the shield moves into the bore hole with the anger but does not rotate while the screw 10 rotates inside the cylinder 1 independently thereof. The digging tool 12 loosens material in its path, and the screw conveys this material through the cylinder 1. If strata movement occurs and loosens material outside the shield, as shown in Figure 1, the shield protects the screw against becoming fouled with excess material beyond what it can handle. To remove such excess material, the auger is retracted relative to the shield to engage the clutch element 3 on the digging tool with the clutch element 4 on the shield. Thus the shield rotates with the auger, and loose material enters the screw through the openings 2 in controlled amounts which do not foul the screw. The helical rib 5 clears away any accumulation of material outside the shield.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that my invention provides a simple shield for protecting a screw auger against fouling and controlling the feed of loose material thereto. The shield can be installed on existing augers with only slight modification to the latter. It is only necessary to equip the auger with a driving clutch element 3 and a collar 7.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shield for a screw auger mining machine comprising a hollow metal cylinder adapted to receive a screw and having feed openings in its wall, and a driven element of a clutch fixed to one end of said cylinder and adapted to engage a corresponding driving element on the auger.

2. A shield for a screw auger mining machine comprising a hollow metal cylinder adapted to receive a screw and having feed openings in its wall, a driven element of a clutch fixed to one end of said cylinder and adapted to engage a corresponding driving element on the auger, and a helical rib fixed to the outside of said cylinder.

3. A shield for a screw auger mining machine comprising a hollow metal cylinder adapted to receive a screw and having feed openings in its wall, an open spider fixed to one end of said cylinder, a driven element of a clutch fixed to said spider coaxially of said cylinder and adapted to engage a corresponding driving element on the auger, and a helical rib fixed to the outside of said cylinder.

4. The combination, with a screw auger mining machine which includes a screw, a digging tool carried by an end of said screw, a driving element of a clutch carried by said digging tool, and abutment means carried by said screw and longitudinally spaced from said driving element, of a shield for said screw comprising a hollow metal cylinder rotatably and 'slidably receiving said screw and having feed openings in its wall, and a driven element of a clutch fixed to one end of said cylinder and received in the space between said driving element and said abutment means, said clutch elements being adapted to engage to rotate said cylinder with said screw or to disengage to allow said screw to rotate independently of said cylinder.

5. A combination asdefined in claim 4 in which said shield also comprises a helical rib fixed to the exterior screw and longitudinally spaced from said driving ele- 7. A combination as defined in claim 6 in which said ment; of a. shield for said screw comprising a hollow shieldal'so comprises a Helical" rili fixed" to the exterior metal cylinder rotatably and slidably receiving said screw of said cylinder.

and having feed openings in its wall, an open spider fixed toione end of said cylinder, and a driven element of a 5 References Cited in the file Of this Patent clntch-fixedlto said spider coaxially of'said cylinder and UNITED STATES PATENTS received in the space between said driving element and said collar, relative sliding movement between said 6 Giover 189.8 screw and said cylinder being adapted to engage said Rlchard 1916 clutch elements to rotate said cylinder with said screw 10 FOREIGN PATENTS or disengage them to allow said screw to rotate inde- 804,314 Germany Apr 19571 pendently of said cylinder. 

